Invalid lifting apparatus



memorial.

- W. E. GOULDING.

. INVALID LIFTING APPARATUS.

Patented 00's. 30

U ITEDSTAT S PATENT OF ICE.

WILLIAM EDWIN GOULDDING, or OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

INVALID- LIFTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 528,475, dated October30, 894. Application filed June 7, 1894. Serial No- 513,8l5. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM EDWIN GOULD- ING, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Oklahoma,inthe countyofOklahomaandTerritory ofOklahoma, have invented a new and usefulInvalid-LiftingApparatus,ofwhichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for, liftlng and carrying invalids inthe sick room, hospital, &c.; and the objects in view are to provide asimple, inexpensive and readily operated device, which may be arrangedto span a bed or couch, whereby the patient may be lifted therefrom andcarried to a different bed or couch, and if necessary to a differentward; to provide means whereby the patient may be carried in anyposition occupied at the time of lifting, as upon either side or theback; and, furthermore, to provide means for holding the patient ineither asitting or reclining position upon the bed or couch.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description,and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatusarranged over a couch with the supporting straps or bands arrangedbeneath the patient preparatory to attaching their extremities to thebuttons on the lifting frame. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing theapparatus in operative position with the patient supported thereby. Fig.3 is a detail view showing the means for operating and holding thelifting cords or cables. Fig. 4 isadetail view of one of the supportingstraps or bands.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings. V

The supporting frame comprises the corner uprights 1, connected at theirupper ends by the parallel side bars 2, which are in turn connected atintermediate points by the transverse braces 3, and the corner uprightsare connected at intermediate points by transverse end braces 4, theupper of which are connected to the transverse braces 3 by means ofinclined brace-rods 5.

The lifting frame consists of parallel sidebars 6, which are arrangedoutside of the side uprights of the supporting frame and are slightlylonger than the interval between said uprights so as to overlap thesame, and these side-bars are connected by transverse braces 7, wherebythe extremities of the side-bars are held in contact with theoutersurfaces of the uprights, which thus form guides for thelifting-frame. The side-bars 0f the liftingframe are provided upon theirouter sides with spaced buttons 8 for engagement with openings 9 formedin the extremities of the supporting straps or bands 10', which areadapted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to be arranged under the vpatientpreparatory to engaging their extremities wi'th the lifting frame.Stilfening plates 11 are arranged in the ends of the supporting strapsor bands, said plates being provided with openings 12 registering withthe openingsin the straps or bands proper to prevent tearing at theopenings in the latter.

Connected to the cross-bars or braces of the lifting-frame are theoperating cords or cables 13, which extend over suitabledirectionpulleys 14: on the supporting framework, and

are connected at their extremities to an intermediate point of theoperating lever 15 fulcrumed at one end of the supporting framework.This lever is provided with locking pawls 16, which engage the teeth ofsegmental racks 17 arrangedadjacent to the planes of the sides of thelever, said lever being preferably constructed of parallel spaced arms18, which are secured together by means of a transverse brace 19.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from theforegoing description, and briefly stated is as follows:The bands orstraps being detached from the liftingframe are passed under the body ofthe patient with their extremities free and lying at opposite sides ofthe bed or couch, and after the supporting frame has been arranged tospan the bed or couch, the lifting frame is lowered until the ends ofthe bands or straps can be engaged with the buttons on the lifting-framewithout disturbing the patient.

When this is accomplished the lever is depressed at its outer or freeend, and the lifting-frame elevated with the patient in the positionoccupied previous to elevating. To lower, the above operation isreversed.

The uprights of the supporting-frame are provided at their lower endswith supporting rollers or wheels 20, which are preferably swiveled toenable them to turn and adjust themselves to the direction of movementof the frame.

It will be understood that to lift a patient to a reclining or sittingposition,it is not necessary to employ the lifting frame, and thereforesaid frame is elevated to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1adjacent to the side-bars of the supporting-framework, and is secured insuch position by means of hooks 21. The operating cords or cables maythen be attached to the extremities of a supporting strap or bandarranged under the shoulders of the patient, and the operating lever maybe depressed sufficiently to raise the patient to the position desired.

It will be understood moreover that various changes in theform,proportion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted towithextremities thereof in contact with the outer surfaces of theuprights, an operating-lever fulcrumed at one end of the supportingframework, locking devices for said operating lever, operating cords orcables connected to the lifting-frame and to the operating lever, andsupporting bands or straps connected to the lifting-frame, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM EDWIN GOULDING.

Witnesses:

W. H. MYERS, W. 0. LOVE.

